


This Could Be It

by adreamersimagination



Category: Dawson's Creek
Genre: Drama, F/M, Love Bites redo, PJO, Romance, Season six fix it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29866281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adreamersimagination/pseuds/adreamersimagination
Summary: What if in Love Bites, Joey went to Pacey to express her fears instead of running?6x18 redo.
Relationships: Joey Potter/Pacey Witter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	This Could Be It

**Author's Note:**

> I've always wanted to do a redo to the episode Love Bites. I have always hated the end of that episode and how it's handled. This is my attempt at fixing it. Let me know what you think!

Joey stood in the middle of the dance floor, looking down at her hands, and felt the weight of her current situation hit her. She traced the corsage on her wrist with a shaky finger, and almost instantly her eyesight became blurred with tears. Pacey had been so adorable when he presented her with the two options, trying to fix the mess up that had been her corsage in high school. It almost felt like their corsages represented them as people. The fun and silly corsage and the serious and practical corsage. She had went with the funny and silly corsage, the corsage that instantly made her think of Pacey. His eyes had been full of hope and optimism of what the night could bring. She knew that he wanted the clean slate, he wanted the chance to fix all his wrongs.   


But with clean slates, came self-reflection. It forced Joey to dig deep inside and deal with all the emotions that came with Pacey Witter, all the feelings. Her feelings for him went deeper and far beyond anything she had ever felt in her entire twenty years of living. They were real, they were genuine. They made her feel so alive and so complete. Pacey made Joey feel like she could do anything, that she could be anyone she wanted to be.   


Losing that once had left her so broken and so shattered. She forced down her feelings and decided to embrace any relationship she could have with Pacey, without feeling that pain again. Friendship had been the option that made the most sense to her. She could keep him close, but still hold him at a distance. She could have him in her life, but save herself the heartbreak of losing him as her boyfriend again. Joey knew it didn’t make sense, she knew it was ridiculous, but it was all she could think to do. Having Pacey Witter in her life, no matter the way, was all she wanted. She couldn’t live without him, she didn’t want to live without him.   


Then they reconnected and she got a glimpse of what it was like to be with him again. What it felt like to have his lips pressed against hers. To have his hands caress her body again. The feel of his long fingers buried in her hair, tugging her close to him. Joey felt alive for the first time in two years, for the first time since she lost him, and it terrified her. It terrified her how easily she could fall back into routine with Pacey and how easily she could get lost in the passion he awoke in her.   


Standing there, Joey faintly noticed the remaining guests at the prom starting to disappear. She saw clean up get started and knew she couldn’t stand there any longer. She had to make a choice. Joey had to decide if she was going to go left or right. Safety or love. Brushing a fallen tear off her face, she stood up straight and took a deep breath.   


Did she go right and play with safe with Eddie?   


Or did she go left and finally embrace the only real love she had ever known with Pacey?   


  


  


Pacey sat at the counter and stared at the vodka bottle in front of him. Sitting next to the bottle was the rose corsage that Joey had placed on his suit earlier. The first thing he had done when he walked through the front door was rip it off his suit. His hand hovered over the garbage can, intent on throwing it away, but he couldn’t find it in himself to follow through. Why, he would never be able to explain. He bypassed the garbage can, and headed straight for the fridge. He swiftly grabbed the half empty bottle of vodka and took a large gulp, coughing at the sting that he felt as it went down his throat.   


Tonight had been a nightmare, a pure and complete nightmare. It started off so promising, so full of potential. He had hoped that he would be able to right all the wrongs from their own prom but it was clear as the night went on that it wasn’t possible. The memories from their senior prom had haunted Joey from the moment she stepped into the decorated gym. He knew, he could see it. She tried to laugh it off, smile, and act like it was okay, but he knew. Pacey knew Joey Potter better than anyone else. He knew when she was afraid and he knew when she was running.   


And that was exactly what she had done. He put his heart on the line, expressed every feeling he had for her, and she froze. He knew she felt it, of course he knew. He could feel the way she responded to their kisses and his touch. He saw the desire in her eyes and the excitement at the possibilities of what their future could bring. She was so into their reunion, and even initiated a lot of it. She initiated kisses and dates. She wanted to spend the week working with him so they could be together. She wanted to make time for him, for them.   


Then they went to a school dance. He should have known. School dances never ended well for the two of them. A school dance with two teenagers that spent the entire night bickering and fighting, resulting in tears. Joey had spent a good chunk of time in the bathroom, consoling Harley, and came out a different person. It was as if she had done a one eighty on them and their second chance. Looking at her, seeing the fear, and knowing he could do nothing about it was one of the most painful things he had to endure. He could promise her how he felt, he could insist he wasn’t going anywhere, but at the end of the day it had to be her choice. She had to want them as much as he did.   


So now he sat, alone and with his alcohol. He sat alone, and heartbroken with his thoughts. All he wanted right now was to be with Joey, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. They were supposed to be together right now, they were supposed to be happy. Their second chance wasn’t supposed to end this way. It wasn’t supposed to end. This time was supposed to be it.   


Possibility was a cruel joke.   


It was so cruel.   


  


  


Joey stood outside the door, and shifted nervously on her feet. She tugged her jacket tighter around her body and tried to protect herself from the looming fear. The minute she knocked on the door, she knew her choice was made. She knew that there was no coming back from it. Joey clutched her hand into a fist and lifted her hand. Not even two weeks ago, she stood outside this door and was almost nervous then as she was now. That night had been about new beginnings and closing the door on the past. This night was about repairing wounds and trying to fix what had been broken.   


With that thought, Joey forced her hand towards the door and knocked. She quickly snatched her hand away and clutched her hands together while she waited. She heard someone on the other side yell that they were coming and her stomach flipped nervously. The nerves and butterflies she felt were threatening to overwhelm her. Before she could get too lost in her thoughts, the door swung open and a startled face met her own.   


“Hi,” she whispered.   


“What are you doing here, Jo?” Pacey swallowed hard and tried to keep his face neutral. To say that he was surprised to see her would be an understatement. She saw him put every wall and every defense the moment he opened the door and saw her.   


“I was, uh, well.” She dug her fingers into the back of her hand and avoided looking at him. She knew that his beautiful blue eyes were going to be full of pain and heartbreak. They were going to be haunted by their conversation from not even two hours ago. “I was hoping that we could talk.”   


“Don’t you think we did enough talking earlier?” Pacey mumbled. She blinked back tears, but knew he had the right to feel however he needed to feel. He had every reason to be upset with her, even angry at her.   


“Can I come in?” Joey nervously asked. She wasn’t sure she could handle him saying no, she couldn’t handle the rejection of him not wanting to talk to her but also knew it was because of her choices that he may so no. Pacey stared at her, and she almost shrunk under his intense gaze, but then he stepped to the side and held the door open for her.   


“Sure,” he said. She let out a breath that she didn’t even realize she was holding and hesitantly stepped through the front door. The door closed behind her and she turned around to face him, watching as he rested his back against the door.   


“Pace-“   


“What are you even doing here?” Pacey interrupted her, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Shouldn’t you be with Eddie?”   


“I-,” she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She didn’t miss the bitterness in his tone or the blankness in his eyes.   


“Why are you here?” His tone was softer, and tired. He could see the confusion in her eyes and the conflict she was battling. He really wasn’t in the mood to stand here, and rehash the night. Living through it was enough, he didn’t need to talk about it as well.   


“I was hoping that we could talk,” she said. When he didn’t respond, she took that as her cue to continue. “I, uh. Do you remember when we met, Pace?”   


“What?” He furrowed his brows. “What does our meeting have to do with anything?”   


“It was at that butterfly house. You were guarding the entrance because Doug told you to and you stood there, with your chest puffed out, feeling like the most important person in the world,” she said. She smiled softly as she remembered little Pacey. From a young age he had been charming and adorable and sarcastic.   


“Jo-,” he shook his head, not interested in taking a trip down memory lane.   


“Doug told you not to let anyone in. He told you that was your only job of the day,” she said. “But then I showed up. All I wanted that day was to get inside and see the butterflies. You crossed your arms, told me no, and then glared at me when I refused to walk away.”   


“But you stood there and refused to move,” he said. Pacey could picture her like it was yesterday. Her scowl, her pigtails, her jean shorts and baggy tee shirt. Her arms crossed and refusing to move away. Refusing to budge. To say he had been intrigued by her, well that would’ve been an understatement.   


“I refused to move, and you refused to move, and we just stared at each other. My stubbornness and your stubbornness, a horrible combination at a young age,” she chuckled and felt her body relax slightly when he chuckled as well. “Then I told you how all I wanted was to see the butterflies. They made me happy and they were pretty. You stared at me like I was crazy. Then you looked around and grabbed my hand, pulling me inside and shutting the door. We stood there, staring at the butterflies, and you held my hand the entire time. I don’t think you even realized you were doing it, I mean you were six, but you did.”   


“I remember.”   


“We went back outside before Doug caught us and then hung out later that day at Dawson’s, pretending like nothing even happened.”   


“Why are you reliving this?” Pacey asked. “What does that have to do with happened tonight?”   


“I was six, so obviously I knew nothing about feelings in the romantic sense. But you, you were the first person that ever did something like that for me. You were the first person who ever took a risk, just to see me smile. You always made my happiness a priority and would do anything just to see me smile,” she said and brushed a tear off her face. She saw Pacey blink back his own tears and then look down at his feet. Joey wanted to touch him, she wanted to make him feel her love, she wanted to comfort him and take away the pain she put there.   


“Is this a more explained break-up?” Pacey asked, looking up, his eyes shining with tears. “Because, if so, I don’t need it. I understood earlier. I got the message.”   


“You didn’t,” she shook her head. “Pace, you don’t understand what happened earlier.”   


“You chose Eddie. You want to be with him. What is there to understand?” He asked. “Which goes back to my earlier question, why are you here and not with him?”   


“This isn’t about Eddie!” Joey threw her hands up in frustration and then took a deep breath to calm herself. She saw his eyes widen slightly and then he crossed his arms. “It’s not about Eddie, okay?”   


“Then what is it about?” He asked. “Because I’m getting serious whiplash here, Jo. First you tell me you don’t feel it. Then you tell me this will never be anything. Then you tell me Eddie is back. Now you’re standing here, telling me it’s got nothing to do with him. So tell me. Please, tell me what the hell is going on.”   


“I-,” she stumbled over her words, trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. She needed him to understand. She needed him to get it. “Pacey, please.”   


“I can’t give you the answers this time, Jo. I can’t,” he shook his head and swallowed back the lump threatening to form in his throat. “I told you once before, that I can’t always be the one to give you all the answers and that’s still true. You have to be the one who decides what you want, where your heart lies.”   


“It lies with you,” Joey finally said. “Pace, it’s always been you. You know that. I told you once that my heart was a fixed point. That three months out at sea couldn’t shake it, and I meant that. Losing you once was too much for me, it was too painful.”   


“Jo-“   


“But I learned how to manage. I found ways to deal with not having you in the way I wanted you. I went for what was safe, instead of what my heart really wanted.”   


“And what is your heart telling you now?”   


“It’s telling me what it’s always told me, it’s telling me that I love you,” she bravely took a step towards him. She saw him suck in a breath and bite down on his bottom lip.   


“I thought you didn’t feel it anymore,” he said. “I thought it didn’t feel right.”   


“It felt too right. I felt it too much, Pace.” Joey said, and took one more step towards him, so they were only inches apart. Their chests were rising and falling, the tension between them building. “When you kissed me in Kmart, I knew. I knew that the spark between us was still there and still alive. I knew that no one would ever compare to you, and I didn’t want them. It’s always been you, Pace.”   


“What happens when you get scared again, Jo? What happens when your fears consume you and overtake your thoughts again?”   


“Then I need to learn to talk to you,” she said. “We’ve always been good at that, right? Talking? I’ve always been able to come to you and you’ve always been able to come to me.”   


“You do like to talk,” he smirked and she playfully rolled her eyes. “So, what are we going to do here? What are we supposed to do now? Do you really think we can overcome our history?”   


“We’ve got one thing in the pro column.”   


“And is love enough?” Pacey asked. “Do you think love can fix everything?”   


“Our love can,” she said.   


Pacey was surprised by her determination, her insistence, and her confidence. This was a completely different Joey from the Joey he left standing on the dance floor. This Joey was sure of them, and their love. But, he was still hesitant. The impact of her words from earlier were still swirling around in his mind, and left him standing at the door. He wasn’t sure he could put his heart back on the line, just to have it broken again. He just wasn’t sure. He saw Joey biting her bottom lip, seeming to debate something with herself, and then nod at herself.   


“Pace?” Joey whispered. His eyes lifted towards hers and he saw it. He saw the promise of love in them and he knew that this was what she wanted. He knew that he was what she wanted. “I’m going to kiss you in about ten seconds. And if you don’t want me to kiss you, well, if you don’t want me to then you’re just going to have to stop me.”   


Pacey felt his stomach tighten in anticipation and butterflies swarmed, her words taking him back to two significant moments in their relationship. Joey kept her eyes locked with Pacey’s and took a step closer to him. She stopped, right in front of him, and their eye contact never broke. Joey rested one hand on his cheek, his eyes fluttering closed, and her other hand rested on his heart, feeling it pound underneath her palm. When she counted eight, she lifted herself up on her toes. Nine, she slowly closed her eyes.   


“Ten, my love.” Joey whispered.   


She leaned forward and softly brushed her lips against his. A soft sigh escaped her lips and then she pressed her lips against his more firmly. She slid the hand resting on his heart, up and over his shoulder. His left hand came up and cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss as he did so. Joey felt her heart lift and relief fill her body. His tongue slipped into her mouth and she knew she had made the right choice. She knew, right here and in Pacey’s arms, this was where she belonged.   


“Jo,” he whispered against her lips and pressed his forehead against hers. Their chests heaved and their breathing was coming out in quick pants. One kiss, all it took was one kiss for them to know.   


“I love you, Pace.” Joey opened her eyes to look deep into his, willing him to believe her words. “I’m in love with you.”   


“I love you too, Jo.” Pacey brushed his nose down hers and gently tugged a piece of her hair. “I always have been, and I always will be.”   


“No more running,” she whispered.   


“No more fears,” he nodded.   


“Pace?”   


“Hmm?”   


“You’re were right,” she said. He furrowed his brows and ran his fingers through her hair. “This could be it. This will be it.”   


“This will be it,” he smiled and she smiled. Pacey pulled her back into his arms, and their lips found each other again. This was exactly where they were supposed to be, and nothing or no one would ever come between them again.   



End file.
